Articles Posted inDrunk Driving Accidents

As Arizona drunk driving victim attorneys, we handle many cases where passengers are hurt while riding with a drunk driver. A crash reported by The Arizona Daily Sun on April 30 indicated that just after 7 p.m. a 20-year-old woman was speeding while under the influence of alcohol in Tusayan when she lost control of the car she was driving and it rolled over multiple times. In addition to the driver, there were five children in the car at the time of the accident.

The woman fled the scene of the crash with her two children, but left three other children behind in the car. At least one of the children was reported injured in the wreck and that child was transported via ambulance to a hospital. The woman was later found and arrested. Our hearts go out to the families of the children who were involved in the crash and we hope that there were no more serious injuries. These children have claims against the driver even if she was their mother or related to them in some other capacity. Guardians for these children should discuss with an attorney how to pursue their claim so that all their damages are paid for by the at-fault party and their insurance.

As experienced personal injury attorneys, we know that the current Winslow drunk driving statistics and total number of car crashes are too high for this small town. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), more than 130 car accidents happen in Winslow every year. Although more than 100 of these crashes result in damages to property without causing severe harm to anyone involved, approximately 22 percent of wrecks in the city were injury-causing or fatal auto accidents. Those involved in drunk driving accidents in Winslow also experience a high rate of death and injury. In 2010, reports indicated only 19 drunk driving collisions were reported in the city, but multiple people were seriously hurt in nearly 27 percent of those accidents. Another 11 percent were killed.

The Costs of Contributing to Winslow Drunk Driving Statistics

Most drivers who add to Winslow drunk driving statistics don’t realize the impact that driving under the influence can have until after the incident occurs. Driving under the influence of alcohol not only endangers other drivers and can lead to the deaths of multiple people, but can cause great distress even if no one is hurt. According to ARS 28-1381, it is against the law for a person to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The law states that any person convicted of driving under the influence is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor and will spend a minimum of 10 days in jail. In addition, the law requires drunk drivers to pay a fine of $250 and additional fees up to $1000 or more, possibly complete community service, pay to install a breathalyzer ignition device in their own vehicle, and even be required to complete alcohol education and treatment programs.

As Scottsdale car accident attorneys, we were shocked and surprised to hear the news of an Arizona drunk driving car accident involving multiple impaired drivers on March 16, according to Arizona Central. The crash began just after 3:00 in the morning on southbound Loop 101 when an impaired driver struck another vehicle near the exit for McDonald Road. A second driver was unable to stop and collided with the already stopped vehicles, followed by another impaired driver who struck the third vehicle, and and then three additional vehicles collided with the group, making the final count of seven involved vehicles.

The first car was struck a total of four times and the driver sustained serious head wounds. Injuries to the other drivers are unknown. The crash is still under investigation but police have confirmed that two impaired drivers and a high rate of speed contributed to this collision. Our hearts go out to the victims of this multi-vehicle collision and we look forward to their swift recovery.

As Lake Havasu City car accident attorneys, we’re always sorry to hear about injuries caused by drunk driving, and were relieved to hear that there were no fatalities in a recent alcohol-related collision reported by the Arizona Independent. The accident occurred at the top of the hillcrest on Gold Springs Road on Friday night, February 24, 2012, when a 23-year-old driver’s Chevy Impala collided with a Jeep Cherokee driven by a 19-year-old. The collision caused the Jeep to roll, and sent the Impala to the edge of a cliff with a 100-foot drop. The 23-year-old was rescued from the near fatal accident and flown to Las Vegas’ University Medical Center. The other driver was also taken to Las Vegas for treatment at Sunrise Medical Center. The Chevy had no passengers, but the Impala’s three passengers were all treated for minor injuries at Lake Havasu City Regional Medical Center. Our hearts go out to the families of both drivers in this accident and we hope that both parties recover quickly.

What Caused This Lake Havasu City Car Accident?

Police have not issued the final report on this Lake Havasu City car accident, but initial reports indicate that the younger driver may have been drunk or “buzzed”. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), alcohol accounts for 5.17 percent of all accidents in the state each year and more than 30 percent of all collision-related deaths because so many AZ drunk driving accidents result in fatalities.

As Phoenix car accident attorneys, we were surprised to hear that drunk driving arrests were down 25 percent this year compared to last year, according to a news story in Fox 10 on December 22, 2011. While this is partly due to the fact that interlock ignition systems have cut down on the number of people driving drunk, it also has to do with some serious budget cuts in some cities that affect DUI task forces responsible for arresting drunk drivers. As injury attorneys, we know how important arresting drunk drivers can be in order to prevent serious car accidents, and we hope that the reduced number of arrests can be attributed to less drunk drivers in the area.

Phoenix Alcohol-Related Car Accident Statistics

According to the report in Fox 10, there were 2,386 people arrested for drunk driving during November 24, 2011 and December 21, 2011. In 2009, there were 3,186 arrests made during the same time period. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), there were three alcohol-related car accidents during Christmas weekend last year that resulted in three deaths. In Phoenix in 2010, there were 1,457 alcohol-related car accidents resulting in 52 deaths and 957 injuries.

As Arizona car accident lawyers, we want to let everyone know about a service provided by the Automobile Association of America (AAA) called “Tipsy Tow.” The service was launched in 2009 and offers a free one-way ride/tow home to drivers and one passenger who have been drinking. The available dates for December 2011 are Saturday, December 24, 2011 from 6 p.m. until Sunday, December 25, 2011 at 6 a.m., as well as Saturday, December 31, 2011 from 6 p.m. until Sunday, January 1, 2012 at 6 a.m. Any drivers who have been drinking can participate; they do not have to be a member of AAA. Also, anyone can call on behalf of the driver, including restaurant or bar staff, friends, family members, and more. The number is 1-800-AAA-HELP.

Arizona Car Accident Statistics

According to AAA, there were almost 40,000 car accidents involving drunk drivers between the years of 2004 and 2009. There were also approximately 230,000 DUI arrests in Arizona within that same time period. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) released a study that reported nine fatal car accidents during Christmas of 2010, resulting in 10 people killed. Three of those car accidents were alcohol related. In 2009, there were seven people killed in Christmas car accidents and two people killed in 2008. The years 2006 and 2007 had even higher fatality rates, with 13 and 12 people killed in Christmas car accidents, respectively.

As Mesa drunk driving accident attorneys, we were shocked to hear that a man drove while intoxicated with his 6-year-old daughter in the back seat on December 11, 2011. The 31-year-old man was arrested at 12:30 a.m. with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, according to AZ Central. Police pulled him over after watching him strike the curb on Eighth Street several times. We are very thankful that police apprehended this man before anyone was injured.

Mesa Car Accident: Victims’ Rights

It is important for victims to know what their rights are. Some adults who knowingly enter a car with an impaired driver believe they don’t have any rights if they are injured, but this isn’t always the case. When victims are injured or killed in an alcohol-related car accident, they may also be able to file for punitive damages, which are meant to bring further compensation to the victims as well as set an example so no other people break the law by driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to Gilbert Police, a 25-year-old man was arrested after reportedly being drunk and crashing his vehicle into a dumpster and then assaulting an ambulance worker. The crash happened at about 9:45 pm. The Gilbert Police received a call and immediately responded to an area near Barney Park where the man had crashed his car. Initially, it was determined he had a blood alcohol level of approximately .295 and was charged with a DUI. Next to the scene were the Gilbert Fire Department and Southwest Ambulance, and the ambulance crew was dispatched to the scene. During the medical evaluation, the man kicked the ambulance worker in the face. The drunk driver was transported to Gilbert Mercy Hospital and later transferred to 4th Avenue Jail where he was sentenced for aggravated assault and DUI charges.

Arizona Drunk Driving Statistics

According to the Governor’s office, they have initiated a total of 14,000 arrests of people driving under the influence as compared to 10,400 arrests in 2008. From these statistics, 960 of the individuals arrested had a blood alcohol level of 0.15% or even higher.

Speeding combined with alcohol consumption is a road violation which becomes much worse when other civilians are involved. NHTSA has an estimated economic cost of $40.4 billion per year in speed-related crashes alone. In 2009, speeding was a contributing factor of 31% out of all fatal crashes. However, speed-related crashes showed a decrease of 10%, from 11,767 in 2008 down to 10,591 in 2009.

In recent news, a 40-year-old woman was killed early Saturday morning in a single vehicle drunk driving accident in Arizona just south of Casa Grande (AZCentral 09/10/2011). The victim was a passenger in the 1995 Chevy Corsica, which lost control and struck a metal pole while turning right from Jimmie Kerr Boulevard to Peart Road. Efforts to revive her failed and she was pronounced dead. The Chevy Corsica was driven by a 20-year-old woman who was also rushed to Maricopa Medical Center with serious, non-life threatening injuries. Police say that the vehicle was traveling at a high speed in excess of 100 mph. Evidences suggest that speed and alcohol consumption were the causes of the collision.

A Peoria accident resulted in the death of a woman Tuesday morning when her car collided with an SUV at Peoria Avenue and the off-ramp from Interstate 17 (AZ Central 07/19/2011).

Phoenix Police Department said the accident happened just after midnight while the 45-year-old victim was driving her 2005 Ford Mustang north into an intersection. A 1996 Toyota 4Runner then struck her on the driver side sending her to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Initial investigations point at impairment as a factor in the crash. The driver of the SUV was suspected by Police to have failed to stop at a red light.

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